


Burnt

by questionablyflying12451



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29112252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/questionablyflying12451/pseuds/questionablyflying12451
Summary: If vampire hunting was hard, then Sophie Foster's life would be miserable. She is already carrying the burden of an average teenager, along with secrets too dangerous to reveal to anyone.Even to her boyfriend.Split, again and again, it's finally to acknowledge the similarities and set the differences aside between the vampires and the hunters.United together by love, yet love makes you blind. Doesn't it?It makes you act recklessly.Perhaps you may even take your own life.
Relationships: Sophie Foster/Fitz Vacker, Sophie Foster/Keefe Sencen
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophie let him walk out of sight before snuffing out her own candle, picking up a wooden spear and a clove of garlic.
> 
> She cautiously walked into the room, finding nothing except dust. She was about to leave, when something flickered.
> 
> “Looking for me?”
> 
> The voice was crisp and accented, barely a whisper but Sophie heard it. She spun around and found her face to face with a vampire.

A cool spring breeze passed through the window, carrying the soft scent of flowers as it drifted into Sophie’s bedroom. The chirping of birds was the final reminder that spring had arrived. The calmness of Sophie’s dreams and her surroundings drifted her away from reality, but the knock on her door quickly brought her back. Sophie slowly opened her eyes, only to find Edaline with her wavy auburn hair peeking in the room. 

“Are you up now?” Edaline asked. “Grady is downstairs waiting for you, he has a mission for you today”

“I’ll be up soon,” Sophie promised, “I just need some time.”

She gave herself a couple of deep breaths before pulling herself out of bed. She got ready, pulling on a soft pair of boots and a cloak and headed downstairs. It was evening and Sophie decided to take a small nap before… 

Downstairs, she found Grady with his blond hair and a boy she didn’t expect to see. 

“Keefe?” Sophie asked, genuinely shocked. He was the last person she’d expected to see talking to her adoptive father. 

“Surprised Foster?” Keefe asked with his trademark smirk. 

Instead, Grady turned to Sophie. “When doing a task for the council, I stumbled upon a castle. It looked like the perfect place for vampires to live. It’s near the north. ”

“Where is this castle?” Sophie asked.

“I asked the same thing,” Keefe said, a smile curling his lips

Grady ignored both of them, “I want you and… Keefe to go to this castle”

He didn’t hide the pause in his sentence and Sophie noticed it right again. Grady never fully accepted Keefe, but has recently gotten more supportive. 

“It appears that some vampires may have settled there and I want them gone,” Grady continued. “Could be back at sunrise? I know the castle is large, but I’ll give you multiple days for your search with Keefe.”

“I’m all in,” Keefe said, unbuttoning his cloak, revealing a full arsenal of vampire hunting weapons. Keefe had everything from garlic to wooden spears. His ability as an Empath did not give him any advantages when hunting for vampires. “Foster’s safe in my hands.”

“I’ll head upstairs to get some equipment,” Sophie said quickly when Grady opened his mouth to reply. She then rushed upstairs to her room. 

She quickly picked up a couple of garlic cloves and a stub wooden spear. Her five abilities gave her a huge boost in vampire hunting. This made her one of the best vampire hunters, even though she just started.

Keefe and Grady were waiting downstairs for her, looking slightly ruffled. It seemed like they’d gotten along but they both looked relieved when she came, not so gracefully down the stairs. 

“Now, to make something clear,” Grady said the moment Sophie set foot downstairs. His eyes narrowed as he fixated on Keefe. “You will attempt nothing without Sophie’s permission, got it?” Sophie scowled.

“I’m trusting you Keefe”

“She’s safe in my hands”

His eyes went to Sophie and then darted back to Grady. “Shall we go now?”

“Wait, Grady,” Sophie said, stopping Keefe from raising the crystal to the light. “Where is this castle located?”

Grady looked slightly flushed. “Somewhere in the north, I have the crystal right here.” He opened his satchel and took out a cobalt blue crystal. 

“Seriously?” Sophie half shouted. “You don’t know where we’re going?”

She was kind of glad that Grady looked guilty.

“Relax Foster,” Keefe interrupted, taking her hands. “We don’t need to know where we are going, let’s do this together, Team Foster-Keefe remember?”

The words were meant to be comforting, but it hit something harder. Her heart skipped a beat and filled with a kind of fluttery feeling. 

“Wait, before you go-” Edaline said coming down the stairs, holding two sets of thick cloaks. She handed Sophie and Keefe the cloaks. “You’ll need these”

“I guess that’s our cue to leave,” Keefe mumbled, pulling Sophie closer as he held up a white crystal. “I have to get something, we’re going on a detour”

“Where are we?” Sophie asked as she and Keefe landed in a shop plaza. The twinkling stars overhead shone brightly, demanding attention. Usually the plaza was crowded with people at night, but tonight, it was fairly empty. From all sides, shopkeepers shouted bargains and competed to sell more. Sophie and Keefe weaved through the crowds and narrow alleys. 

“Where are you taking us?” Sophie asked for the 10th time. 

Again, Keefe ignored her. 

After a crazy amount of turns and twists, Sophie was sure that they were lost.

They arrived at a battered looking shop and Keefe led Sophie in. The shop was dusty and cramped but was filled with all types of amulets. Keefe reached and tore his hand through his hair. 

“It’s an amulet shop, it’ll protect you from vampires,” Keefe explained, ordering an amulet with a red stone set in the center. 

“I already have an amulet, you should have told me ahead of time,” Sophie hissed. 

“You don’t have one from me”

His words were barely a whisper, but she was sure she heard it. Keefe unclamped the chain and put it around her neck. He thanked the shopkeeper and they exited the store. Keefe gripped her hands tightly.

“You sure you want to do this,” Keefe tried one last time, fumbling for the crystal. 

They locked eyes.

“I do,” Sophie replied with what hoped sounded like confidence. 

Keefe raised the blue crystal to the weak starlight, creating a thin beam of light. They looked at each other and then let the warmth whisk them away.

“Where are we?” Sophie shouted. The words bounced off the stone around them. The castle was set on an island, no bigger than the castle itself. Waves crashed on the shore and gulls circled overhead, adding strangenes to this abandoned castle. Sophie and Keefe walked warily towards the giant doors. The castle was enormous, with its black bricks and overgrowth. 

The wind picked up speed and Sophie fumbled to fasten the cloak Edaline had given her on. Keefe did the same as another breeze hit them.

“E-Edaline wasn’t ly-lying about the cold,” Keefe stammered as he pulled out two long and slender candles. 

They’d reached the castle’s main doors by then and the black metal looked especially daunting up close. The door made a strange creaking sound when it was opened. Sophie shuffled closer to Keefe, trying to absorb his warmth. The night sky seemed to turn darker as then entered the castle. 

The walls were cold and clammy, looking ready to fall any moment. Everything inside was dusty and smelled like fresh moss. Keefe lit the two candles, providing some light in the dark room. 

Everything looked black inside, even all the paintings. Perfect spot for vampires. They checked every corner and crack, but found nothing except spiders.

After all, the castle was humongous, there was no way they could finish searching in one night. 

Sophie moved even close to Keefe when the next hallway twisted, revealing a very long, very black room. Sophie almost had a heart attack when the sound of shattering glass filled the air. 

“Do you think it’s one of them?” Sophie whispered to Keefe as he pulled her closer. Keefe reached in his cloak and pulled out cloves of garlic and a wooden spear. They sped up their pace until the room reached a fork. 

“I’ll go this way,” Keefe whispered, already taking off in a jog. Sophie grabbed his hand.

“Shouldn’t we stick together?” Sophie asked, as Keefe turned around. The soft glow of the candle made his features much more visible. 

“We don’t have time,” Keefe said, turning to take off. He snuffed his candle out and armed himself. “Hurry and search, we have to find at least one”

Sophie let him walk out of sight before snuffing out her own candle, picking up a wooden spear and a clove of garlic. 

She cautiously walked into the room, finding nothing except dust. She was about to leave, when something flickered. 

“Looking for me?” 

The voice was crisp and accented, barely a whisper but Sophie heard it. She spun around and found her face to face with a vampire. 

Sophie screamed. A loud and piercing scream. A scream that cut through the night air like a blade. 

The vampire was a boy. A tall boy with wavy brown hair and bright teal eyes. He looked… sad. Sophie held out a clove of garlic and he fell back.

“Who are you?” Sophie asked in a whispered hush. The vampire mouthed some words, but Sophie didn’t catch them. After a couple of tries, she figured it out, the amulet. She looked at her neck at the glowing stone. 

“You okay there Foster?” Keefe called, rushing over. 

Terror rimmed the vision of the vampire as he scrambled away. Sophie could feel the terror wafting to her, but something told her to stop. 

Keefe entered the room, spear raised. 

“It was nothing, Sophie said, still looking at the place the vampire disappeared. 

“Why did you scream?” Keefe asked, still scanning the room. 

“I- I heard more glass shattering,” Sophie lied. Ever since she’d started to spend more time with  
Keefe, she learned to create much more believable lies and how to hide her emotions. Something about the vampire made her feel… different. Like it sparked a flame in her. 

“C’mon Foster,” Keefe said, pulling Sophie towards him. A cool wind blew in from the open window and he pulled her closer into a hug. She hugged him back, tightly, like he was the only thing that mattered. 

“Please don’t hide anything from me Foster,” Keefe whispered in her ear.

“I would never,” Sophie promised. 

They pulled away. 

“Did you catch a… a vampire?” Sophie asked quietly as they walked towards the exit. 

Keefe’s smirk widened as he pulled three sachets out of his cloak which were filled with chalky powder that looked like ash. 

“Caught three,” Keefe said proudly. “I think that might be a record.”

Sophie’s mind drifted to the vampire she saved as Keefe lit another candle. Did she do the right thing? This act was technically punishable by death… but she could hide her memories well. Something stirred beneath her. Something deeper and darker. 

They’d arrived outside of the castle by then and Keefe lifted the leaping crystal. The sun was peeking through the vast ocean, shedding enough light for them to leap away. 

Grady tried not to look impressed when Keefe placed the three bags of powdery ash on the table. She was kind of embarrassed to admit that she didn't catch any vampires, well she technically did, but she set him free. For some strange reason, she didn’t feel regret. 

The sun was now slowly making his way up the sky and Sophie made her way downstairs for breakfast. Purple stripes with white dots were served on silver platters, but Sophie could barely taste the sweetness. 

She grabbed her bag, said goodbye to Grady and Edaline and walked out the door. She was definitely surprised to see Keefe waiting outside for her. 

“Keefe?” Sophie asked.

Keefe smirked. ‘Surprised again?”

Sophie ignored him as they both made their way towards the school. The school looked more like a castle, with its stone walls and slender towers. A gigantic clock tower stood in the center. Sophie and Keefe walked in the emounous gates to find beautiful fountains and artistic designs engraved in the stone and walls. All of the students roaming the halls came from well known vampire hunters, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. 

This is where all the master hunters learned. Students ran from all directions to get to class before the…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG 

The bells from the clock tower chimed and were heard throughout the entire school. Keefe gripped Sophie’s hand tighter as they walked into their first class. 

The lecture was simple, like usual, but Sophie tried her best to not let her mind drift to the vampire. And before she knew it, the bells chimed again. This time, she took a path downwards, to learn about vampire capturing techniques. The path got darker and colder with each step.  
Until she finally arrived. 

Sophie cringed as she had to learn to use the lasso, one of the easiest and the most painful catching tool. She learned to use the lasso and loop it around the vampires neck and drag them in. She practiced with dummies, but that didn’t make it less terrifying.

More bells rang throughout the school, telling everyone to move on to their next class. Luckily, she could have a break, since she had to go vampire hunting at night. 

“How was class?” Keefe asked, catching up with her.

“Pretty good,” Sophie replied, not looking at him.

“You sure Foster?” Keefe whispered. 

“I’m fine”

“Okay Foster, you really need to tell me what’s going on,” Keefe said, blocking the doorway with his body. 

Sophie sighed. “Just let me go Keefe”

“Not unless you tell me what’s happening.”

There was some type of a steel glint in his eyes, which bothered Sophie and also made her heart feel light. 

Sophie let out the breath that she was holding. She prepared for this moment in her room, rehearsing and repeating what she was going to say. “I- I just think I saw a vampire in the castle, and I don’t… I think I might have left him inside”

Keefe’s features slightly softened. “We’ll catch him Foster and I can’t have you looking like a trashed ogre walking around”

“A what?”

Keefe laughed. “You do look like you need more sleep Foster”

He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Go get some rest, you’ll need it”

Sophie made her way in her room, dragging her feet along with her. Her thoughts spun out of control as she opened her door to her room. She tried to get some sleep, but it was impossible. She thought of her emotions like strands of hair and tied it beneath her ribs, to save incase of emergencies. A soft tune playing nearby made her thoughts drift and she fell asleep. 

The castle was even more eerie than before as the rain poured down and the waves crashed harder on the shore, pounding their ear drums. Lighting striked, illuminating the castle for a moment, making it look taller and way scarier.

They made their way inside, drying off their hair as Keefe pulled two candles from his pocket. This time, the candles were thicker with a scent of fresh flowers when they started burning. 

Sophie tried very hard not to take a deep sniff. Keefe laughed as she tried to restrain herself. 

They fell silent as the first hallway twisted. 

And the next.

Nothing happened in the third hallway either. Except…

“Did you see that,” Sophie whispered, pulling Keefe closer. 

“What?” 

A flicker of gray passed behind them. Sophie spun around, but only found tattered windows and a couple of pillars. She kept watch behind while Keefe looked ahead. Sophie almost gasped as she recognized the vampire behind a pillar. The same one she saw yesterday. 

“You okay Foster?” Keefe asked, keeping his eyes straight.

“I- I think I saw something,” Sophie whispered back. 

Keefe spun around and the vampire hid behind the pillar, hiding himself from sight. Keefe scanned for a couple more seconds before continuing to walk forward. Sophie stared at the spot where the vampire was hiding. She couldn’t make anything out until he poked his head around the corner. His teal eyes shone in the dim light of the candles. The pounding of the rain made Sophie wonder whether the vampire was saying something. 

If he was, she couldn’t make anything out. She continued to stare at the vampire, until Keefe’s hold on her hand tightened and a gasp escaped his lips. 

Sophie spun around and found herself and Keefe face to face with a zombie like vampire, with its fangs bared.


	2. Admit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He leaned closer.
> 
> And closer.
> 
> And…
> 
> His lips met hers.

“Stay back Foster!” Keefe called as he moved in front of her, holding a clove of garlic in front of him. He fumbled and pulled out a lasso.

“I’m not leaving you here!” Sophie shouted back, arming herself with a handful of garlic. She tossed some of the garlic at the vampire’s feet. The vampire screeched and fled backward. Keefe tossed the lasso and it caught the vampire. 

“Close his mouth,” Keefe commanded and he reeled the vampire in. He flexed his biceps and Sophie rushed forward and clamped his mouth shut. 

Keefe tossed a handful of garlic at the vampire's feet. The vampire screeched again and tried to escape, but Keefe held on. 

Slowly, the strength of the vampire was drained and nothing was left except a pile of ash. Keefe kneeled down to gather the ash while Sophie looked back. 

The other vampire was looking directly at Sophie, staring until Keefe turned around.

“Let’s get out of here,” He said in a shaky voice. He held a white crystal to the faint light of the candle and they both leaped away. 

Grady and Edaline were pleased with Keefe’s catch, but couldn’t believe the close call. No matter how many times Sophie insisted that she was okay. After a goodbye with Keefe, she raced to her bedroom for a morning nap.

The day stretched on as the tangled emotions in her chest tightened as she thought about the vampire boy. The pained look in his eyes when his fellow comrade fell. 

The school day was typical. In the morning, Sophie listened to a history lecture about vampires and learned to use a sword in the afternoon. The afternoon class left her drained and exhausted, but she felt good. She also had a very important class, in the afternoon, the art of vampire hunting. 

Sophie walked into the atrium, lined with seats and velvet curtains, letting the sunlight stream in. She sat near the front row and prepared herself for an epic lecture… 

But all they talked about was hunting. And the fun in hunting. Throughout the entire lecture, Sophie’s mind thought about the vampire boy. Did they have the right to discriminate against him?

She hid all her feelings well, too well she even tricked herself into forgetting out the vampire boy… until night fell.

Sophie kissed Edaline good night and climbed up her stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door and gasped out loud. The vampire boy was by her bed, examining one of her bracelets. She itched to grab a clove of garlic to toss at him… but. 

“Who are you?” Sophie whispered. 

He tilted his head to get a better look at Sophie. 

“Fitz, Fitz Vacker,” he replied, taking a slow step back.

“What are you doing in my room?” Sophie demanded.

His teal eyes twinkled in the starlight as he said, “I’ve never met someone like you.”

Sophie didn’t know how to respond. 

“You let me free. That has never happened before. Ever,” Fitz leaned ever so slightly close and his voice was no more than a whisper. “Why?”

Sophie’s voice gave up on her as she failed to respond. She shook her head a couple of times to clear her nausea. “I- something told me,” she finally mumbled.

Fitz took a step closer. “Well, thank you.”

Fitz took something from his pocket and tossed it towards Sophie. She caught the roughly crafted necklace and took a good at it. 

The necklace was a simple loop with a single tooth attached. Sophie gasped when she recognized it. This was the necklace meant to tell the vampires that this person had permission to be there. And she had one. 

“Wait-” Sophie said as Fitz prepared to leap out of the window. He gave her a last smile and he vanished into the night sky. 

Sophie couldn’t put her head around everything that just happened. The smile, the necklace, the visit. It was too big. Perhaps it was lucky she was tired, as she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

The next morning, Sophie woke up, completely dazed by last night’s experience. She thought about it when getting ready, she thought about it when walking to school and she thought about it when she came home. Her mind was still confused and she tried to wrap her head around everything. 

“Foster, you okay?” Keefe asked, blocking her way out again. 

“Let. Me. GO!” 

“You’re hiding something,” Keefe said. His tone wasn’t accusing but it felt like it. 

“I’m not,” Sophie replied, not quite meeting his eyes. 

His tone was more sad than angry. “Please Foster.”

Sophie sighed. This was the Keefe she knew. He pushed until he got what he wanted.

“Don't hide anything from me,” he begged.

Sophie really needed more time for a cover story so she pushed him away. “I’ll tell you later, I just want a trip to the river.”

She couldn’t believe that Keefe agreed. The river was one of Sophie’s favorite places to be. A thin waterfall was near the end, which was Sophie's favorite place. Vines dangled above and the scent of sweet flowers made her heart lighten as she walked near the river. 

She’d swam in the clear waters multiple times and it always made her feel fresh. She also needed a cover story and this felt like the right place. 

She knew that Keefe was behind her and she was glad that he was. 

She chose a sheltered spot and sat on a rock overviewing the entire river. She reached into the river, slowly scooping the water and letting it fall. 

Her heart ached, so she hummed the same strange tune she heard from Fitz. The melody was slow and rich, just like her feelings. 

“Oh Keefe,” she whispered. “What should I do about you?”

The forest seemed to pick up the tune as she sighed.

“Always just out of my reach, but never forget about me. I have to fight to get to you, but all I get is sadness, I don’t know what to do anymore.” 

She let out a long sigh. A drizzle of mist hit her, showering her with droplets of water.

“I always feel I’m lost deep in your winter, without a way out-”

“Talking about me Foster?”  
Keefe suddenly emerged from the bushes, but that startled her so much she fell into the water with a splash.

He laughed and jumped in with her. 

He carried Sophie to the surface and faced her. 

“You know I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the waterfall. 

“I know,” Sophie said, following the new scenario. Her hair clung to her face and Keefe tore his hand through his hair.

Water droplets floated around them, drizzling them in a shimmering mist. 

They locked eyes. 

“You know I really like you,” he whispered to her. He wrapped her in a hug. He pulled her closer, so close she could see all the water on his face. 

“Trust me Foster,” Keefe begged.

Her heart skipped at least ten beats when she nodded.

“Thank you”

She could feel his breath on her cheek as he pulled her closer in the water. A stream of sunlight illuminated the entire scene, shining the scene with a rainbow.

Keefe leaned in as the scene changed, looking more like a fairyland. 

He leaned closer.

And closer.

And…

His lips met hers.

Sophie woke up late at night, sweating and shaking. The bright moon shone brightly, illuminating a figure squatting on the window’s ledge. 

Sophie screamed as she recognized Fitz. 

“What are you doing here?” Sophie hissed.

Fitz’s head cocked sideways. He leaped on the floor of her bedroom, dusting himself off before turning to her.   
“I- I just wanted to tell you something,” Fitz said, holding up his necklace. “There’s um I guess some of my- uh”

“Is something wrong?” Sophie asked as Fitz fidgeted with his cape. His entire attire was inky black with silver swirls along the edges. His boots were very long and two of his teeth were much longer and sharper than the rest. Sophie pulled up her covers as an icy chill blew through her window.

“They're planning to take over a mountain range,” Fitz whispered, moving closer and taking a seat on her chair. “Your council should know already, I left them a note”

Sophie blinked. “Why are you helping us? Shouldn’t you be on your side?”

Fitz gave her a half-smile. “I thought I was the only one who realized our world’s flaws. Until I met you.” He stared harder at Sophie. “Why do you think I get you that necklace? Why do you think I walked into your room?”

Sophie was speechless. 

The strange tune started humming again. 

“I must go,” Fitz said, preparing to jump out the window. 

“Wait-” Sophie protested.

But he already vanished. The tune was louder this time… until it finally died down. 

It turns out that Fitz’s warning was true. The council already set up a variety of vampire hunters near the mountains. Sophie hoped that she and Keefe wouldn’t get chosen for any of the hunting parties. 

The next day arrived and Keefe and Sophie arrived at the school. They parted into their own classes. The announcements blared across the school and Sophie didn’t really listen until the list of people attending the hunting started to be listed. Name after name, all names she didn’t recognize, until the last one was announced. She was lucky it wasn’t her name, but it somehow made it worse as the announcer declared, “Keefe Sencen”

“I’ll be fine,” Keefe said for what had to be the 10th time. They were both settled in Sophie’s room as she reminded him over and over to stay safe and be careful. Tomorrow they would be collecting him and she wouldn’t have the chance to see him for who knows how long. 

“Stay safe,” she begged again.

“I will,” He promised.

Sophie tossed and turned in her bed as she tried to get sleep. Nothing calmed her down. She was too worried for Keefe. Too worried for what might come. The stars seemed to reflect her mood, dimming until Sophie couldn’t see anything.

Until she felt her head crunch on something when she tried to turn over. A note

It was written hastily in neat letters:

Meet me now. Use crystal.  
-Fitz

Sophie got out of bed, hastily putting on a cloak and shining her light at the crystal to create a thin beam. 

She wasn’t surprised when she landed in the same room where she found Fitz but that was when she noticed him leaning on the wall. 

“What did you call me here for?” she called, drying some of the tears she shed.

“I know Keefe got dragged into this mess-” Fitz started

“You don’t know anything,” she snapped.   
Fitz moved closer. “I do, Keefe is going to need help. Give him this.” He handed him a roughly carved wooden spear. “I’ll bargain him out of any situation,” Fitz took 3 berries from his pocket, holding his hand out. “These’ll help you sleep.”

Fitz flashed his smile, which shouldn’t have made her heart skip. Sophie lifted his crystal and leaped away.

“I’ll be safe Foster,” Keefe reassured as he entered her house. She handed him the strange wooden spear and he frowned. “What’s this for”

“Well- I… It’ll keep you safe,” Sophie finished lamely. 

Keefe tucked the relic in his pocket and patted it. “I’ll be fine,” 

Sophie highly doubted that, but she decided to take his word for it. But…

“Please tell me you’re not planning to go,” Sophie said, pulling on Keefe’s arm. “It’s too dangerous” 

Keefe’s lips curved in a half-smile. “First you’re giving me this,” he said, patting his pocket. “And now you’re telling me to ditch?”

“Something,” she replied. “Anything that will make sure you’re safe… run away… stay in the woods or-”

“I’ll be fine,” Keefe said again, grabbing his backpack and raising a cobalt blue leaping crystal to the light.

Sophie grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaping away. “Please Keefe please,” she begged.

Keefe shook her off and stepped into the light. 

Sophie’s heart ached. The wind coming from the wind felt chilly and cold. Her heart felt like ice and her hands were getting colder and colder. She raced upstairs and jumped on her bed, wanting to spend the rest of eternity sleep. Tears finally slipped through and she cried.

After laying there for hours, silently sobbing Sophie finally had the courage to stand up, her legs refused to cooperate. She collapsed back on the bed. He’d throw her away! Is he okay? Hundreds of questions bubbled in her head like toxic lava. Another freezing breeze blew in and she looked out the window. It was inky black. She hadn’t realized she’d lay there for so long…

She continued to lie there, hoping that snow would fall, burying her and her broken heart in white fluff.   
The window creaked and all the questions froze in her mind as she recognized that shape. Fitz.

She sat up. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Seeing how you’re holding up. Not very well I see.”

Sophie turned away. 

She overreacted a bit… but… 

“Do you think Keefe is going to be okay?” Sophie whispered. 

Fitz sighed. “The first raid is today, so if he survives today, he’ll be fine”

That wasn’t a yes. 

But that did ease her wounds. The thoughts in her brain dimmed.

“Sleep well,” Fitz whispered as he jumped out the window again. 

Sophie walked over to her table and wrote a short note to Keefe and sent it off.

And she actually got sleep.

The next morning, Sophie quickly got dressed and headed with Edaline and Grady to the town square. She rushed ahead to check on the fallen from the mountain. The space was crowded with people and Sophie squeezed to get a better look. 

None of the names on the FALLEN list looked familiar. None of the names on the INJURED list looked similar. But under the CRITICAL CONDITION section, a name in bold letters made Sophie’s heart stop.

Keefe Sencen.


	3. Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where is Keefe?” Sophie demanded, scanning the room.
> 
> “You mean Mr. Sencen? He’s in the west-” the nurse started.
> 
> “Thank you!” Sophie interrupted, sprinting off to the westward. 
> 
> She stumbled past person after person, but her concentration was focused on her legs. She arrived at a ward with a black door and opened it. Inside, she found Keefe lying on a white bed enclosed by a clear bubble. The words on the side made her legs feel like jelly.
> 
> Might be Contaminated

Sophie ran. 

In fact, she never ran that fast in her entire life. She channeled all her energy in her legs and sprinted towards the medical hall, knocking over many people as she ran downhill. 

After an eternity, she arrived at the white medical hall.

“Anyone there?” Sophie shouted, banging on the doors, searching inside.

The banging continued until a nurse opened the doors and Sophie burst in, heart racing and holding back tears. 

She didn’t wait for Grady or Edaline before sprinting inside. The wing was divided into different sections and she sprinted to the injured.

“Wait-” the nurse called.

“Where is Keefe?” Sophie demanded, scanning the room.

“You mean Mr. Sencen? He’s in the west-” the nurse started.

“Thank you!” Sophie interrupted, sprinting off to the westward. 

She stumbled past person after person, but her concentration was focused on her legs. She arrived at a ward with a black door and opened it. Inside, she found Keefe lying on a white bed enclosed by a clear bubble. The words on the side made her legs feel like jelly.

Might be Contaminated

She fell on her knees and the tears slipped free. Might be contaminated… does that me he’s a- She didn’t want to think about it. There was no way. He was strong. 

This top half was visible, with a sharp red gash from his right shoulder all the way to his left hip. Sophie just sat there crying, even when Grady and Edaline came in. tears blurred their faces, as they helped her come home. 

His teeth were still short… which was a good sign but… 

Keefe’s injuries kept replaying in her mind, over and over again. The deep red gasp, slowly healing. A bit too slow. 

The only thing she could do was wait for better news.

And that wasn’t easy. 

Sophie begged for a sedative to let time pass. The slowness of the clock was killing her. It felt like an eternity when night fell. 

And Fitz came.

She lifted her tear-stained face from her pillow as Fitz closed her window.

“You lied to me,” Sophie managed to spit through gritted teeth. “It didn’t protect him.”

Fitz turned to her, his stare so intense, she blushed. 

“He didn’t have the charm with him when he went up the mountain,” Fitz said as he turned to the window. “His injuries are curable… but it's a race against chance.”

Sophie looked at Fitz. “Are you sure?”

Fitz nodded.

He held out his hand to help her up. She took it and her stomach did a backflip as they sat on the bed together. 

“Do you know when the results will come back?” Sophie whispered.

“Probably in a week,” Fitz said back. Sophie noticed how close they were as Fitz said, “Hopefully sooner.”

The days dragged on and Fitz always seemed to come at night to check on her. 

The third night, Sophie was completely losing it. She pushed everyone away, even Grady and Edaline. 

Night fell and she was back to sobbing on her bed. News still didn’t come about Keefe and she was going insane in her own head. 

Fitz arrived again, but Sophie wasn’t in the mood.

“Why are you visiting me every night? You know very well we might get killed,” Sophie snapped.

Fitz opened his mouth.

“No. I can’t do this anymore. There’s too much stress already. You- you have to leave,” Sophie continued. 

Fitz closed his mouth. His eyes looked pained as he nodded and quickly left.  
Sophie just stared at the window. 

Days passed without a single trace of news. The next, Sophie took a sedative and that knocked her out. 

But the next day, Edaline refused. Her mental capacity was collapsing on itself. She felt she cried a year of her life out.

Heading to the marketplace seemed strange to her, after days of barracking her in her room. Human interaction felt weird but she knew where she was heading. And she was going there, nowhere else. 

“May I have urm- the strongest sedative you have?” Sophie asked the shopkeeper.

She looked shocked. “Why would you need it?”

“I just do,” Sophie said lamely, fussing with her cloak.

The shopkeeper handed her the vial. “Careful,” she warned. “This can knock you out for days... I’ve been asleep for a week once.”

Sophie took the vial and paid for it. She kept the warning in mind as she tucked it in her pocket. 

If the scroll contained bad news…

She would down the entire bottle. 

That is how she felt. 

As night fell, she clawed her blankets, hoping that Fitz would appear at her window. But he didn’t. 

On the third night, Sophie was so desperate for the tiniest distraction, she called out the night for Fitz’s name. 

She didn’t expect him to reply. Or that was what she’d told herself. 

But when the moon rose to the tip of the sky, a deep shadow was illuminated by the moon and the stars. 

“Fitz?” Sophie whispered to the figure.

“Missed me?” Fitz asked, his voice like a soft wisp of smoke.

The familiar soft tune hummed in the background. 

Fitz walked towards her and sat on her bed. 

“I know you’ve missed me,” Fitz said quietly. “But I’ll try my best to come here”

She grabbed his hand, which felt ice cold. But she still held on.

“Without you, we may have lost the battle,” Sophie said, gripping tightening on Fitz’s hands. “You have to give yourself credit on that.”

Fitz looked away. 

The tune in the distance seemed to grow louder.

“Please Fitz,” Sophie begged. “I can’t let you live with that guilt.”

Fitz agreed.

Fitz pulled her closer. “You see those stars in the sky?”

Sophie nodded.

“When the north star glows, I want you to use its light and leap with it, it means I’m in danger,” Fitz explained.  
Sophie nodded again. 

The tune died away and Sophie felt herself blushing as Fitz kissed her cheek and jumped out her window again.

Sophie wished time could pass quicker. She’d been checking the notice board every single day, but nothing reported about Keefe.

Sophie walked down to the notice board and her heart jerked to a stop as she saw the name Keefe Sencen. 

Cured

Tears of relief gathered in her eyes as they focused on the word. Cured. Keefe was okay. Everything was fine. Sophie was so happy, she rushed to the medical hall to find him, but he wasn’t there. Nor was he at the park or at his house. 

Sophie was about to worry again when she arrived home and found Keefe in her bedroom. The next couple of seconds was a blur as Sophie rushed to tackle-hug him.

“Woah there Foster, that is a lot of emotion you are hitting me with,” Keefe said, laughing as they toppled over. Sophie’s grip didn’t loosen until a couple more seconds. Then, she demanded to know what happened.  
It turns out, Keefe didn’t bring his charm on the mountain with him. The vampires then separated him from the rest of his groups and struck. Luckily, he defended himself and had time to call for the others before returning. Sophie pummeled him with question after question until she was completely sure that he was okay. He was, which then made Sophie relax. Until she remembered Fitz. 

When Keefe left, her heart sank into layers of cold ice. She felt her heart was… dividing. Or was cracking the right word?

His mind kept on filling with the two boys, repeating the same message over and over again. Two boys. One girl. How was she supposed to carry on? The next couple of days was a blur, as she kept on thinking about the same question over and over again. Which boy? She wasn’t meant to be with Fitz… 

Her stubborn heart refused to cooperate with her brain's demands. 

Until one night, she felt like she had to let it all out. 

Night fell and she snuck outside, carrying nothing except a bag full of firewood, a lamp, and everything from Keefe and Fitz. 

She made her way towards the woods. The densest, the darkest part of the woods. The darkness stretched on and on and Sophie’s mind switched to panic mode as her mind filled with flashbacks of the horrors lurking in the darkness. 

Vampires. 

Evil. 

But if they worked together, couldn’t they achieve much more? 

Will the vampires work with them?

Fitz did. 

But will the others?

She walked deeper into the woods, Finally finding a comfortable spot and settling down. The soft glow of the moon and her lamp provided some comfort. 

But it was too cold. 

And dark.

A chilly wind blew from the east. Sophie shivered as she brought out some firewood with her shaking hands. 

Once everything was settled, she smashed her lamp against the wood, ignited a flame, searing through the darkness of the forest. The fire burned brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire clearing she was in. 

The flames showed no sign of stopping as she tossed another piece of wood inside. She imagined every thought she ever had of Fitz and Keefe in that piece of wood and burning it. She had to forget. 

Everything they’d ever given her was tossed in the flames, lost forever. Heat licked her skin as the fire burned a bright orange, swirling higher and higher in the sky. 

Sophie watched as her things burned and her thoughts. The flames only grew brighter as the familiar tune filled the clearing. The fire danced to the rhythm, twisting and turning as the tune grew louder. 

Sophie listened attentively to the familiar tune, watching the flames soar. Dazzled by the light, Sophie wondered if she’d ever been the same again… probably not.

Sophie lay on the ground, drifting to sleep as the tune-filled her ears and the heat licked her skin. 

She tried to cry, but no tears came out. 

Let the fire burn all the tears I’ve shed, Sophie thought

Sleepiness hit her hard and she drifted off to sleep on the soft ground…

The first rays of dawn blinded Sophie as she tried to open her eyes. Shocked, she kicked the ashes around, grabbed her empty bag, and rushed back to her house. 

She climbed into the window and tried to cool down before flopping on her bed. 

The stars were still visible, glowing dimly as the sun beat the weak stars with its blinding light.

Except for a single star.

One star glowed brighter than the others. 

The North Star.

Sophie immediately jolted back to her senses and cold panic filled her heart. 

Her breathing quickened and her palms turned sweaty as she used a bottle to bottle the light. Her hands shook as the warmth carried her away. 

The light leap felt icy cold and endless. It felt like pieces of ice were flanking her from all sides, but she focused to keep her concentration together. 

She gasped as the light stretched to an end and she landed in an atrium with Fitz getting attacked by two other vampires.

“Stop!” Sophie screamed at the vampires towering over Fitz. Or she thought she screamed. The world shifted out of focus as her head spun. 

The vampires looked completely shocked to see the sudden arrival of Sophie, but soon that shock faded, revealing poisonous rage. 

“Betrayal,” one of them hissed at Fitz, slicing his chest with a wooden spear. 

Sophie screamed as she lunged forward, wrestling the vampires away. Their muscular bodies pinned her to the ground as she twisted and screamed. 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a clove of entire garlic. 

All of the vampires; including Fitz, scrambled back. She whipped the garlic at one of the vampires' heads, channeling all of her strength in her arm. The vampire barely had time to duck, but the distraction was enough. She snatched the spear and whipped it right at the vampire's chest. 

His fellow comrade roared and charged at Sophie with its weapon raised. Sophie pulled the spear out with a sickening squish. 

The weapons clashed as they moved in a grace that didn’t suit a battle. Sophie reached the garlic, ducking the vampire’s blow. Pure hatred rimmed his blood-red eyes as she waved it in front of the vampire's face. 

The vampire cowered and Sophie took the opportunity to strike. She threw the spear in the direction of the vampire and it hit its target. 

The vampire crumbled to the floor and Sophie rushed to Fitz’s side.

And he wasn’t breathing.

“No!” Sophie shouted, holding Fitz’s limb hand. “Please Fitz, stay with me…”

The end of her sentence ended in a sob. 

Fitz’s eyes opened eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.

Tears streamed down Sophie's face as Fitz turned to face her, “I… stay safe Sophie”

And he closed his eyes. 

And never opened them again. 

Her legs were too weak, they wouldn’t support her…

There was no way Fitz was… 

She shoved that thought deep in her mind. 

No. 

Her heart shattered. Completely. 

Her mind dimmed and her thoughts moved sluggishly in her head. 

She couldn’t take it anymore. 

She quickly picked up Fitz, who was lighter… much lighter. She laid him on the side of the atrium. 

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she said her goodbyes and kissed his cold lips. 

She leaped away to her house. 

She was an absolute disaster. 

If she didn’t knock herself out, she would literally die. 

Her hands reached in her pocket and felt a cool smooth vial. 

She chugged the sedative and collapsed on her bed… everything turned into a blur. She dropped the bloody spear in her hand and fell into deep, deep sleep.

She had no record of time. Only that day and days had passed. Or did it?

A warm tingling on her skin told her to wake up. 

She did. 

And she found Keefe with a bloody spear through him. 

She screamed and scrambled away. 

Was he-

He was. 

And with that cheerful thought, she broke down. 

She collapsed on the bed and the last memory she had was Grady and Edaline bursting in her room and gasping.


End file.
